Portable refreshment booth



March 27, 1934. J. P. SPANG PORTABLE REFRESHMENT BOOTH Filed Nov. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenTor. \Joseph F? Spon'g AITys.

March 27, 1934. J. P. SPANG PORTABLE REFRESHMENT BOOTH Filed Nov. 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \nvenTor. Joseph PSpon Q b -WMX/W 4 AT Tys.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED .STATES PATENT o FicE This invention relates to portable booth construction adapted specially for use in installing refreshment booths of the type commonly used 7 in ice cream parlors, restaurants and similar places where refreshment is served.

In my Patent No. 1,928,508, September 26, 1933 I have showna portable refreshment booth which comprises a partition member having seats hinged thereto and also provided with folding seat-supporting means, the construction being such that a plurality of these partition members with their attached seats may be placed in parallel relation in any room thereby forming a series of alcoves or booths. The present invention has for its object to provide improvements in the construction shown in theabove-mentioned patent by which the portable booth is rendered more serviceable for general use.

In order to give an-understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out inthe appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the combined partition and seat units of a portable refreshment booth embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a View showing the combined partition and seat unit folded for storage purposes;

Fig. 3 is an end View oi a portable refreshment booth embodying my invention with a portion broken out to better show-the construction;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the combined partition andseat unit whenit is folded for storage;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which the seats are hinged to the partition member, the end members nearest the observer being omitted; I

Fig. 6 is a section on theline 6-6, Fig; 5'with the end members in position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 7-7,

Fig. 3; l

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8--8, Fig. 5 showing the seat folded;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on the line 99,

Fig; 3; i

As stated above my invention relates to a portable booth construction which includes a portable unit in the form of a combined partition member and seat member which is designed to be arranged with otherunits adjacent the wall of a room to provide the desired booths or alcoves.

The combined partition and seat unit embodying my invention is indicated generally at 1. This comprises a partition member 2 which forms the partition between the booths and also the back of the seat, two seat members 3 pivotally connected to the partition member 2 and a pair of seatsupporting end members 4 at each end of the partition member and which provide means for supportions also engage the end. of the partiti porting the seats in operative position when the device is in use.

The seat membersB are pivotedv to the lower edge of the partition member 2 so that they may swing downwardly into the plane of the partition member or may be swung upwardly'into their horizontal operative position. A simple pivotal connection for the seat members 3 is herein illustrated. It includes a hinge plate 5 securedby screws 6 or otherwise to each end of the partition 2 adjacent the bottom thereof, and which is provided with two pintle-receiving openings 7 near its lower edge, and pintles 8 at, the ends of the seat members 3 which are received in said openings 7. As herein shown the'partition memher 2 is at least twice as thick as the seatmemhers 3. so that when the seat members are, swung downwardly into the plane of the partition member as shown in Figs. 4 and in dotted lines Fig. 5

the combined thickness of the two seatmembers...

horizontal operative position but also so as to form.

ornamental ends or wings to the structure. jln' the construction shown each end memberj4;ex

tends to the top edge of the partition memberand is hinged to the end of the partition member through the medium of suitable hinges 9, the...

latter being constructed to permit each end mem her to be folded against the partition member when the seats are swung into their vertical position as shown in Fig. 2. V

In the construction shown in Fig. 7 a hinge. construction in the nature of a double hinge is employed for each pair of end members 4. This hinge construction comprises a central hinge plate 10 which is secured to the'end of the partition member 2 by means of screws 11 or otherwise and which has hinged to each edge thereof a hinge plate 12 which is'secur'ed to one of the wings 4 also by means of screws 13. These hinges may if desired be spring hinges, that is, hinges which are provided with a suitable spring 14 that normally tends to swing the. end members 4 into their folded position against the partition member as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. 7. With this construction the pivotal axis of each end member is at the vertical corner of the partition member 2, and each end member is shown as extending somewhat beyond its pivotal point as indicated at 15 so that when the two end members are swung outwardly 1 into operative position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 7 the edge portions 15 of the two end members of any pair meet each other. These two. edge member and serve as means to limitthe outward swinging movement- 110f the end members.

f member'as shown in Figs; 2 and 4and indotted- The end members 4, which are also seat-supporting members, are provided with suitable means for supporting the seats 3 when they are in their operative horizontal position. As herein shown each end or seat-supporting member 4 is provided with a seat-supporting rail or cleat- 16 on which the end of the seat 3 rests. This rail or cleat is preferably specially constructed so that it not only furnishes a support for the seat *but also has an interlocking engagement with the seat which prevents any separating movement of the two seat-supporting members at'opposite ends of a seat. The seat-supporting rail 16 is herein illustrated as having a channel shape'and as being secured to the seat-supporting member 4 through themedium of screws 1'7.

Each seat member 3 is provided at its end with time as best seen in Fig. 6. This lip 18 can conveniently be' formed by securing an angle iron "strip '19 to the under side'of each seat at the end thereof, one leg of the angle iron strip forming "the lip 18. With'this construction each seat-supporting'me'mber is tied to the'end of the-seat which it supports so that there can be no separating'm'ovement' 'of the seat-supporting members for any seat sufficient to withdraw the seat sup- "portingrail or cleat from under the seat.

Eachunit will preferably be made so that it has a seat oneach side of the partition member as shown in'Figs. I and 3. These units are port-' able unitsfand' can be set up along the wall in any roo'm'thereby'providing stalls or booths in .35

which tables 24maybe placed for serving refreshments as illustrated in my 1 before-mentioned Patent No. 1,928,508.

'If at any time the'floor'space occupied by the portable booths is desired for other purposes than fs'erving refreshments each' unit maybe knocked f down or'folded'as shown in Figs; 2'and 4 and then The folding of the 'unitinvolves'raising each seat "sufficiently to withdraw the "lip 18 from the channel iron supportingrail 16'and then swinging thestored" in any convenient storage" place.

seats 'do'wnwardly'into the' plane of the partition bers may then be folded -overonto opposite sidesofthe partition 'm'emberthereby reducing the" combined partition member and seat to a compact 'fst'ruoture occupying little space andwhich can be "easily stored.

' The structure may 'be'used by simply setting "thecombi'ned partition and'seat units on the floor at'the' desiredsloc'ations. f'sired to anchor these units'in place then anchor- 'ing screws may be inserted "throughthe-open- If, however, it is'de- 'i'ng's' 20 formedin the feet 21'andscrewed'into d splitting I propose to'reinforce' the upper "edge of the floor."In'order to prevent said'feet from "each foot 21 with ach'annel' iron member 22 which 'enclosessaid upper edge and which is provided:

' receiving opening '20.

with an opening 23 in alignment with'the screw- I claim floor, two seat members hinged to the lower edge of the partition m'embeneach seat member having a thickness no greater than half that of the partition member and both seat members adapted to swing from a horizontal operative position to a vertical inoperative position-beneath and in the plane of the partition member; the seatesupporting members extending above the seats and each member being provided on its inner face with a seat-supporting rail to support the end of the seat, said seat-supporting members being adapted to fold against the opposite sides of the partition: member when the seat members are in their inoperative position.

' 2. Afolding seat and partition unit for portable: boothv constructions comprising a partition porting members supporting the partition-mema lip 13 which is received in the channel shape of the rail 16 whenthe seat is in operative posi- 20 ber with its lower edge spaced from the'floor,-a

zontal operative-position to a vertical inoperative position beneath and in the planeof the parti-' tion member, said seat-supporting members-extending to the top of the partition-member and each having on-its inner face a seat-supporting? rail on which the end-of the seat member rests, said seat-supporting members being foldable against thepartition'member when theseat is in its inoperative position.

3; A'folding seat and partition unit forportablei' booth constructions comprising a partition memher, a pair of seat-supporting members hinged-to each end of the partition member and-supporting the latter with its lower edge spaced from the floor, twoseat members'hinged to-the lower edge of the partition member, each seat member having a thickness no greater than'half that of-the partition member and both seat members adapted to swing from a horizontal operativeposition to a vertical inoperative-position beneath andin115 the plane of the partition memben'theseat-supporting members extending above the seats,-and

a channel-shaped seatsupport secured toeach "seat-supporting member on its inner face and on which the -seat-supporting -member rests,- each 11 seat'having alip to be "received in the -channel of the seat support.

4. A folding'seat and partition unit for portable boothconstructions comprising a partition member, ahinged'plate secured to each-end thereofg1 at itslower edge said plates projecting below said loweredge, apair of seat-supporti members hinged to each endof the partition member and supporting the latter -with its lower -edge spaced from the floor, said partition members exe; 1.130 tending above the hinge plates, two seat members having pintles-journalled in said hinge :plates,

each seat member having athickness nogreater I than half the thickness of the partition member,

whereby the seat members may swing from a 11011512 zontal operative position into aivertical inoperative position-beneath and in the planeiofthe partition-member, achannel-shaped seat support secured to. 'the inner; face (if-leach seat-supporting member andon' which the end of the seatmay-r rest, each seathaving a depending liptobe received in the channel of the seat support-when the seat is in operative position,. said seatsupports being folda-ble againstopposite sides of the partition member when the seats, are in inoperative position.

' JOSEPH P. 'SPANG. 

